Lost Soul
by Erestor Telemnar
Summary: A tournament has been started to find more potentials to recruit into the Duelist Academy. Kira Chihaza, a 16 year old teenager has been invited. But as he and his friends progresses in the tournament, he realizes there is something going amiss.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. I do own several things in this fic.

Author's note: This fic is to further develop my writing skills, so feel free to drop any comments or criticisms in your reviews. I will continue my other Yugioh story, just not anytime soon. Sorry to all the fans of that one.

_Italic _means thinking, flash-back, etc. Most of you would probably know this by now.

* * *

Kira Chihaza stood at the balcony of his bungalow, slowly contemplating the decision he was about to take. The wind was whipping against his face, and his eyes were gazing at the wondrous skies above him, where the stars shone bright. He tore his eyes from the wonders of the heavens above and brought them to the letter which he held in his hands, his crimson eyes scanning its contexts.

_Dear Kira "Sabreus" Chihaza,_

_You have been invited to the Gen-ex Tournament. The tournament will be held on the 28th of June at Icarius Island. The purpose of this tournament is to uncover new dueling "champions" who will stand a chance to enter Kaiba's Dueling Academy, where many others have been discovered and are already receiving training to improve their abilities and also the chance to win $1,000,000. Should you wish to enter this tournament, enclosed with this letter is your ticket to the island. Please be at Platform 9 of Marina Bay at 9:00 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning to board the ship. We hope to see you there._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mokuba Kaiba_

_Co-owner of Kaiba Corp._

Kira chuckled slightly when he saw his nickname. _Sabreus…_

People used to call him Demon because of his blood-red hair and eyes. Then all that changed right after his duel at Pennsylvania, where the people there had given the name Sabreus, which was supposed to mean dark and beautiful. Since then, few have called him Demon, though there were occasions where kids would run away from him, screaming. He chuckled again.

Just then his phone rang, and he picked it up.

"Hey Kira, you'll never guess what happened!" the person on the other side yelled.

Kira held the phone away from his ear and suppressed an urge to roll his eyes heavenwards. Typical Suain Hitori, his classmate since two years ago. Also a duelist like himself, Suain's style was vastly different from Kira's, as were their reputation. Kira was renowned for being a level 8 duelist, having won many championships and for his rare collection of cards. Suain was two levels below him, an above average duelist of level 6. Though the gap between their levels was big, it was more because of the rarity of their cards than anything else which left Suain in that position. Kira waited patiently while Suain continued to ramble about how extraordinary, magnificent, wondrous, mind-blowing, unbelievable this event was and that he wouldn't be able to even guess what it is.

"Let me guess, you got a letter from Kaiba Corp. which invited you to the Gen-ex Tournament which will be held on the 28th of June at Icarius Island, giving you the opportunity to join Kaiba's Dueling Academy and also win $1,000,000 in the process. Enclosed with the letter is the ticket to a ship which you have been asked to board at 9:00 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning to the island. Oh, and it's signed by Mokuba Kaiba. Did I get it right?" Stunned silence… Bingo.

"How…how did you know that?" Suain stammered. Kira nearly laughed at the simplicity of the question.

"I got it too, genius."

"You got one too? Cool, that means we'll get to see each other there then," Suain began talking excitedly again. "You are going right?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Me? Of course I'm going! Who knows? I might even get a chance to meet Seto Kaiba himself!" Oh, that's right. Kira had forgotten that Suain was a big fan of Seto Kaiba, and had done his best to imitate him by creating a dragon deck. His deck was significantly different, because no one could ever hope to obtain a single Blue Eyes White Dragon; all three of them being owned by Seto Kaiba himself.

They continued to talking for a while, Suain's excitement never faltering, before Kira decided that he had to pack and advised Suain to do the same. Bidding him good night, he switched the phone off and moved to pack his things. He thought for a moment, then decided to pack light and quickly dumped all the usual stuff-shirt, pants, toiletries, those kind of stuff-into his travel bag. That done, he dropped into his bed, too tired to move. Slowly, his eyelids began to feel heavy and he drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

He awakened to a sunny morning the next day. Rolling over, he peered at his alarm clock. 7:30. He still had an hour and a half to get to Marina Bay. He got up and quickly made his bed. Heading to the washroom, he washed himself up, combing his hair as he did so. Changing out of his clothes, he put on a sleeveless shirt, with blue and white designs over it, and a pair of jeans. He took out a jacket as well, with designs similar to his shirt, and put it on as well. Taking his watch, he slid it on and pocketed his wallet as well.

He checked his clock. 7:45. Plenty of time left. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. _Now where is my Duel Disk, _he thought as he searched the room? _Oh, that's right. I used it to duel the computer downstairs yesterday._

Opening a private compartment under his bed, he removed two protein bars and slipped them into his pockets. Kira got out of his room and ran down the stairs to his entertainment room.

The room was actually a hemispherical dome where he practiced dueling with his Duel-bot. It was large enough so there was enough space for the images of the monsters to materialize fully, and the only furniture there was a round table half-surrounded by chairs which was situated at the edge of the room. And on top of the table was his Duel Disk.

His Duel Disk was custom-made, specially ordered from Kaiba Corp., and had cost him nearly $9,000. Still, it was well-worth the price, made from the best available materials and had a special feature which he had requested be added in: the ability to switch colors.

He picked it up and examined it, making sure it was functioning perfectly. Satisfied, he slid it on and went outside to wait for a taxi, not forgetting to lock his house.

The trip to the bay took the better part of an hour. He paid the taxi driver and thanked him. Making his way to Platform 9-which wasn't hard to find, with the hundreds of duelists gathering there-he showed his ticket to the guard, who let him pass. He went in and searched the crowd. Most were complaining because they had to wait, while others were talking excitedly amongst themselves. Some were even trading cards and dueling. But still, where was Suain?

"Kira!" There he was.

Kira side-stepped the tackle he was about to receive, while Suain crashed onto the floor, twitching. He quickly got up and glared at him. "You idiot! You had me worried sick. Do you know how close to being late you were?"

Kira eyed his friend amusedly. Suain was wearing his favorite Blue Eyes shirt, with white pants to match. His Duel Disk was nowhere to be seen, which led him to believe it was in his red duffle bag which was slung over his shoulder. A young teenager with unkempt dirt-brown hair, he had experienced an early growth spurt and was half a head taller than Kira. "I'm never late. You know that."

Suain continued to glare at him, trying to muster as much anger as possible. Inevitably, he found it impossible to stay angry at his friend. "Forget it. Just try to be a little earlier next time okay?"

"I never _try_ to do anything either Suain," Kira replied blandly.

Suain threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine. Whatever." Then he calmed down and grinned. "Guess who I found when I was waiting for you." He looked past Kira's shoulder.

Kira turned, and came face-to-face with an auburn-haired woman who stared back at him with emerald eyes. "Lacus?" he asked in surprised voice.

Lacus Layne was another friend of Kira and Suain, their junior by a year. She was wearing a dark green tunic which hugged her body neatly, with a silver mesh tied at the waist. In her right hand she held her suitcase, while a Duel Disk hung on her left. Kira frowned at this. To the extent of his knowledge, Lacus was no duelist.

"Hi Kira," she greeted him. "Didn't expect to see me here?" She grinned at him.

Behind him, Kira heard Suain burst out in laughter. "You should have seen the look on your face man." He moved between them. "You were like this." And he proceeded to make the most ridiculous face Kira had ever seen in his life, his knees bending slightly while his mouth opened agape and his eyes staring heavenwards. Lacus tried to suppress her giggle but failed miserably.

"You're exaggerating," Kira told Suain as he punched the jaw back into place. Suain grumbled under his breath. Lacus had managed to suppress herself and looked at Kira innocently when he stared at her. _So they planned this. Wait till I get my revenge._ Just then, he heard the guards lock the gates and soon the speakers buzzed.

"Fellow duelists," the announcement began, "I am sure many of you are already impatient to get onboard the ship towards your destiny so I'll cut this short. Many of you will not be boarding that ship." Roars of protest were heard all over while some duelists looked around in confusion. "Here are some facts for you to digest: Kaiba Corp. doesn't want losers participating in this tournament, much less training at its academy. Therefore it has already been decided early on that only 30 duelists shall board that ship." Another wave of protests. "To get onto that ship, all of you will have to duel until you lose. Only the 30 remaining duelists will be able to board that ship. And the rest gets sent home in shame," the announcer began to cackle madly. "However," he continued, "there is another way to get onboard the ship immediately. If any of you manage to defeat the guards in a duel, you may do so. Be forewarned that they are Kaiba Corp.'s elites and should you lose, you will not only be sent home but one of your precious cards will be taken. So think before you act. Enjoy!" And the speakers went dead.

Many duelists began to move about, issuing challenges, while others backed away, trying to remain unnoticed. Kira ignored all this as a plan continued to form inside his mind. He smirked suddenly and motioned to Lacus and Suain. "Follow me."

They stared at him in confusion, but followed him anyway. "Where are we going?" Suain asked. Kira didn't answer, but merely headed towards the ship. There he stopped in front of the stairs, where two guards were blocking the way.

"You can't board the ship unless you're one of the thirty who are left," one of the guards said. "Or do you wish to challenge one of us?" He smirked.

Kira's eyes did not waver as he stared at him in the eye. "I'll challenge three of you alone. If I win, my friends and I get to board the ship. Agreed?" Suain and Lacus stared at him like he was crazy, and the guards were doing much the same.

The guards recovered first. "Very well, but be warned that if you lose, you and your two friends are automatically disqualified." He called three others to him, asking one to replace him while he and the remaining two walked towards the center of the platform. "Clear the field!" he yelled.

Duelists scurried about, wondering what was happening, while both Suain and Lacus were yelling at him.

"Kira, are you nuts? Didn't you hear what the announcement said? They're Kaiba Corp.'s elites. And you're thinking of taking _three_ alone?" they both yelled at him. "Are you trying to get us disqualified!"

Kira waved them off, marching front to face the three guards, who had already activated their Duel Disks. _Ready brother,_ he asked silently at the back of his mind?

_Next time you want me to duel; can you at least ask first, _his "brother" replied back?

Kira chuckled. _Sorry about that, but you already knew what I was thinking anyway. And you're better suited for mult-dueling._

_Fine, but you owe me one for this Kira._

_Feel free to call the debts anytime, Zephyr._

Kira dropped back into the shelter of his mind as Zephyr took control. The crowd gasped as his body began its transformation. His hair, which was blood-red, turned dark blue and his eyes shifted into a matching color. His Duel Disk folded out, turning white with metallic blue bolts painted over it. "Let's get this show on the road," Zephyr stated, ignoring the looks he was getting, both from the audience and his opponents. He threw his travel bag aside and drew five.

Zephyr: 4000

Guard 1: 4000

Guard 2: 4000

Guard 3: 4000

"I'll start," the first guard, the one he had challenged, said. He drew six cards. "First is Pot of Greed. I trust all of us here are professional enough to know what it does," he said as he drew two. "Then I'll summon Muka muka (600/300) in attack mode." A crab-like creature appeared on the field, with smoke streaming out from the many tubes on its head. "Next is Infinite Cards, which allows me to hold an unlimited amount of cards in my hand. One card face-down and that's it for my turn." A brown-backed card shimmered into existence on the field.

"I'm next." The second guard, a blonde, drew her card. "I hope you're ready boy, because we're not going to hold anything back."

"Just get it on already," Zephyr said dryly.

"Fine, I use Card Destruction to make us discard our hand and draw new ones." Then first guard's face-down card flipped up, revealing two brown bags with the numbers 50 sewed on both.

"I chained it with my new permanent trap card: Even Share. Now when my opponent-that's you kid-draws cards outside his draw phase, I get to draw the same number of cards." He laughed as he drew nine cards, while Zephyr and the other two guards drew five each.

"Next is Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/700) in attack mode." A two-faced priest rose on the field, holding his beads in his left hand while chanting softly. "End turn."

If the first and second guards were bad, the third, an exceptionally large man no less, was the worst. "I'm going to beat you down to a pulp!" he yelled as he drew. "1 face-down card and that's it for me."

Zephyr didn't even bother to look at his drawn card. "Orb of Life (0/0) in defense mode." A small crystal ball appeared on the field, glowing with a faint white light. Many duelists began whispering amongst themselves, wondering what his tactic was. Some went and called him names, laughing at his stupidity for putting such a weak monster in defense. "Hey," he called to the first guard. The guard looked at him, puzzled. "What's the downside of Even Share?" The question was so simple it took him off-guard.

He laughed. "If you must know, if you ever have more or the same numbers of cards as I do I have to discard my entire hand and deal 300 points damage to myself for each card. But since I have Infinite Cards and you don't, I doubt that'll be a problem."

Zephyr snickered. "You think that trap cards of you is going to win you this game. What you don't know is that it's a liability. I'll say this now…in the next three turns, all of you are going to fall. Starting with you." He pointed at the third guard. "Then you." The second guard. "And finally you." The first guard glared at him as he pointed. "End turn."

"You think you're that tough?" He drew his card, increasing his hand to 10. "Muka muka gains 300 for both attack and defense for each card in my hand, making it an impressive 3600 attacker." (3600/3300) Many in the crowd gasped as they saw its attack points skyrocket, while some-the more professional duelists-still watched impassively. "And it destroys your pitiful orb!" The monster surged forward, swinging its claws at the orb. There was a sharp "clang" but the orb still hung there, unmoving. "What?"

Zephyr looked at him with an almost bored expression. "Orb of Life can't be destroyed in battle when it is in defense mode. Done yet?"

The first guard growled. "Fine, end turn."

The blonde drew and smiled. She slid four of her cards into her Duel Disk and held the final card for them to see. "I place four of my cards face-down and play Treasure from Heaven. Now we draw until we hold six cards in our hands." She drew six, while the others drew one. "I summon another Kycoo and end my turn." Another priest similar to the first rose on the field.

The third guard drew his card and played it immediately. "I discard one card from my hand to activate the effect of Cost Down. Now all monster cards in my hand are downgraded by two levels. And since it is two levels down, I can now summon Jinzo (2400/1500) without any tributes." A green humanoid appeared on his field, its laser eyes glaring at Zephyr. "I equip it with Big Bang Shot, giving it 400 more attack points and the ability to deal damage through defense. (2800/1500) Go, Psycho Shocker!" Jinzo raised its hand, electricity coursing through it and smashed it down on the orb, raising dusts everywhere. When the dust settled, Zephyr was seen standing with a smirk on his face. "What's so funny?" the guard asked him.

"You are." He held up his Duel Disk, and the guard's eyes widened at the increase.

Zephyr: 6800

Guard 1: 4000

Guard 2: 4000

Guard 3: 4000

"Any damage dealt through Orb of Life is converted into Life Point gain, which means you just helped me. Anything else?"

Veins started popping from the guard's forehead, and he struggled to control himself. Gesturing, he ended his turn.

"My turn then. Draw." Zephyr snapped a card from his Duel Disk and pointed at the large man. "I said you'll fall first and I mean it! Orb of Death (0/0) in attack mode." Another orb appeared on the field, this time omitting a dark glow. "Attack Jinzo!"

Jinzo watched the ball in front of him, before bringing down his fist and smashing it into pieces.

Zephyr: 4000

Guard 1: 4000

Guard 2: 4000

Guard 3: 4000

"Orb of Death's special effect activates! When I receive 2000 or more damage through it I can destroy all the cards on my side of the field to initiate a Thunderbolt-like effect. Go Death Ripple!" All the monsters were suddenly struck by an invisible force, sending them flying into their owners. "Second effect activates. Any of your monsters that are destroyed by the first effect gets their attack points subtracted from your Life Points." The guards gasped as their Life Points went pummeling down.

Zephyr: 4000

Guard 1: 100

Guard 2: 400

Guard 3: 1200

The third guard recovered first and brushed himself. "Looks like your plan failed," he sneered. "I still have 1200 Life Points left." Then his face paled as a figure began appearing on Zephyr's field. Its general shape was that of a man's, but it had a pair of wings, one black, and the other white. In his hands he held a scepter and a sword, both slotted.

"Yinyang Warrior (1500/1500) is automatically summoned to the field from my hand or deck whenever both orbs are sent to the graveyard at the same turn." Zephyr pointed at the third guard, who was sweating profusely. "Finish him. Balance Strike!" The warrior jumped to the other side of the field and slashed at the guard.

Zephyr: 4000

Guard 1: 100

Guard 2: 400

Guard 3: 0

The other two guards watched in shock as their partner's Life Points dropped to zero. "One face-down card and end turn," Zephyr said as he quietly slid the card into his Duel Disk. He pointed at the blonde. "You're next."

The first guard gulped loudly before drawing his card. Then he smiled as he saw his drawn card. "Monster Reborn on Muka muka." The crab-like creature reappeared on the field. (3900/3600) "Attack Yinyang Warrior." The warrior didn't stand a chance.

Zephyr: 1600

Guard 1: 100

Guard 2: 400

Guard 3: 0

"End turn."

The blonde drew, hope shimmering in her eyes. She saw her drawn card and sighed in dejection, gesturing for Zephyr to continue.

Zephyr drew and slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. "One set monster." His hand shifted into his graveyard pile, where he took two cards and showed it to his opponents. "I remove Orb of Life and Orb of Death to re-summon Yinyang Warrior in attack mode." The warrior returned to the field, looking slightly battered but otherwise fine. Zephyr pointed at the blonde. "Go." The warrior jumped forward and delivered the final blow.

Zephyr: 1600

Guard 1: 100

Guard 2: 0

Guard 3: 0

He slid his remaining cards into his Duel Disk. "This is your final turn. If you can't figure out my strategy then you're going to lose." With that, he ended his turn.

The guard drew his card. "Muka muka," he paused, unsure whether to continue or not. If Zephyr was bluffing then he would win the duel. If he was not however, he would be in trouble. "Attack!" The monster came up, only to get entangled in a net.

"Elaborate Defense can negate as many attacks as the turns it has been on the field, not counting the turn I set it," Zephyr explained at his flipped-up card. "I set it two turns ago, which means it can negate three attacks."

"Fine, end turn then." The guard wasn't worried. He still had the strongest monster on the field.

"…That was your last," Zephyr drew and, not bothering to see what it was, flipped his set monster up, revealing a white-robed, female magician. She was carrying a staff with many peculiar runes on them. "Magician of Logic (200/300) when flipped lets me choose a magic card from your graveyards and add it to my hand." The magician made a circular motion with her staff, and three cards came flying at Zephyr-one from each of his opponent. He caught them without batting an eye. "First, your Pot of Greed." They both drew two cards, the guard due to the effect of his trap card. "Then your partner's Card Destruction."

The guard's eyes widened as he realized what his plan was. "I'm chain it with Mystical Space Typhoon from my hand to destroy Even Share."

"You caught up a little late," Zephyr said as he drew his cards. He pressed a button on his Duel Disk, and his face-down card flipped up. "My own Card Destruction. Game Over."

Zephyr: 1600

Guard 1: Decked out

Guard 2: 0

Guard 3: 0

The crowd, who had remained silent until now, continued to do so even after the duel ended. Zephyr looked around and saw that almost every other duel had ceased, their participants watching him instead. He ignored them and picked up his travel bag, moving to board the ship. "You two coming?" he asked Suain and Lacus, both who were staring at him with their mouth hanging. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and moved onto the ship.

Inside his mind Kira was laughing. _Revenge is sweet._


	2. Chapter 2

Kira stared out at the crimson horizons, his hair stirring in the wild wind. The sun was already setting, the 30 duelists already chosen and the ship had already set sail. Below him the waves were gently splashing against the ship, while above the cluds were rolling by. He smiled and closed his eyes.

"This is your entire fault you know."

Kira slowly opened his eyes. "What is?" he asked.

"All of it!" Suain said disgustedly. "Because you decided to show off, now everybody on the ship is scared stiff of us. I can't even walk down the deck without having everyone staring at me. Worse, two ran off when I asked them for a duel, and not a single person is willing to trade with me."

"You're exaggerating again. Besides, it's your fault for trying to surprise me with Lacus. Speaking of which, where did she learn how to duel anyway?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just asked me yourself, Kira?"

Kira turned and smiled slightly. "Of course. My apologies."

Lacus walked to stand between him and Suain. "I actually learned it from Suain," she said.

"She's really very good. In just three weeks, she's nearly beat me already. You heard about the competition at Raffles?"

Kira nodded.

"She got runner-up."

Kira turned to her in surprise. "That is good."

"Don't you think that's an understatement, Kira? I did after all master the game in three weeks."

"That would be an overstatement. If you're a master, you should be able to defeat Suain."

"Hey!" Suain protested.

Kira chuckled. For a moment the three of them stood in silence before Lacus asked: "What do you two think things would be like at Icarius Island?"

"Competition will be tough," Kira answered. "If the requirement was the same for every ship—and I'm sure there will be more than one ship for the competition—then we'll be facing only the best. At the very least there'll be three ships, including ours, so that means we'll be meeting 87 other contestants. I think we'll be divided into teams."

"Why?"

"Because there are too many contestants. If they do the standard 1-on-1 duels, it'll take quite a while for this tournament to finish, especially since they'll be recording and showing every duel on television."

"What!" They didn't say anything about appearing on television." Suain protested.

"Grow up Suain. You think with an opportunity to make so much money Kaiba's just going to let it slide? Not even in your dreams."

"But if we're in a team, wouldn't that be a good thing?" Lacus said. "If we're all in a team, we'll reach the finals together."

"Yes, assuming they'll let us choose our own teams—and that I'm correct of course."

"Kira Chihaza I presume," an arrogant voice interrupted them. They turned, and saw a young boy, probably around 13. He had a light-green hair, with almost matching turquoise eyes. Kira noted his expensive clothing, as well as the many rings which decorated his fingers and the dark suitcase he held. He shifted his gaze to the boy's face, noting the challenging look, and the arrogant way he thrust his chin forward. He disliked him almost immediately.

"Yes," Kira answered, keeping his manners. "Is there something you wanted?"

"You can say that," the boy said. "I am Lex Cruset," he declared, as if it was the most important thing in the world. "I saw your duel and noticed the rare cards you used. I would like to purchase them." His manner, although annoyingly arrogant, was almost adult-like. He held the suitcase in front of him, and opened it. It was filled with cold, hard cash.

"Wow!" Suain exclaimed. "That's the most money I ever saw in a place." Lex threw him a disdainful look before he looked at Kira again. He had a smug smile on his face, almost as if he was sure Kira couldn't refuse his offer. He was to be disappointed however.

"No."

Lex was shocked, probably because no one had ever refused him before. It took him a while to gather his wits. "What do you mean 'no'?" he said angrily, his face flushing. "Don't you realize who I am? I am Lex Cruset, one of the richest men in the world."

"I said 'no' and I mean no. I will not be selling any cards in my deck and that's final." He turned to leave, but felt a hand grab him and spin him around. A fist cracked against his cheek and he stumbled backwards.

"Hey!" Lacus yelled. "No need to be violent just because he won't sell his cards to you." Several duelists had already gathered, wondering what happened.

"Shut up you lowly whore!"

_Uh oh,_ Kira thought as Suain helped him up. _That was a **BIG **mistake, Lex. _He knew nearly everything about Lacus. Her father had died when she was young, and her mother had been forced to sell her body as a living. When Lacus was seven, her mother died, and she had been adopted into another family. Since then Lacus had always held her in high respect, and was very defensive of her and her profession. And now Lex had just insulted it…

As he predicted Lacus stiffened. Her eyes were ice-cold as she walked purposely up to Lex. Her hand caught his cheek, the sound like a distant gunshot. Lex stumbled back, his hand going to the angry red mark where she slapped him. His face was shocked, before anger reasserted itself and it grew crimson with rage. "You… you dare…" He broke off whatever he wanted to say and screamed in rage: "This is unacceptable! I would not be humiliated in public by a lowly commoner! I challenge you to a duel!" His disk fanned out in front of him

"Fine," Lacus said coolly, moving to his opposite, her own Duel Disk activating as well.

Despite the gravity of the situation Kira chuckled. Unlike the anger of most people, which would have resulted in shouting or the breaking of material, Lacus's anger took form in an almost icy calmness. Her eyes would grow hard with resolve, and her body would unconsciously adapt a challenging pose. _Now to see how good she is._

Lacus: 4000

Lex: 4000

"I'll start first, as the challenged," Lacus said, drawing her six cards.

"Fine," Lex sneered as he drew his five. "I doubt a freeloader will cause me much problem."

Lacus didn't answer as she set a card in the monster zone and two in her magic/trap zone. Gesturing, she ended her turn.

"Hardly an impressive move, as expected of a commoner." Lex drew his card. "I activate the rare field magic card Gold Mine." Around them the field began to change, turning into large cave. Workers were seen laboriously hacking at the walls, while carts filled with gold were pushed out by even more workers. "Once per turn I can discard one card to either gain 1000 Life Points or draw one card. And to make it even better I play the permanent magic card Infinite Riches, which will enable me to use all the effects of one card if I mean its requirements. Now I discard one card," he picked one card from his hand and put it into his graveyard, "and gain 1000 Life Points and draw 1 card." He added the card he drew into his hand."

Lacus: 4000

Lex: 5000

"Summon Greedy Baron (1500/1500) in attack mode." A paunchy man, elegantly dressed, stepped into the field. "Attack the set card!"

"Mystical Elf (800/2000) has more than enough defense to counter your attack." A blue-skinned woman; fully robed appeared on the field.

Lex grinned as his monster stepped in and punched the elf, destroying her. He waited for the surprised exclamation but none came. "Greedy Baron gains equal attack points to how much Life Points I have over you," he explained in an annoyed voice. (2500/1500)

Lacus nodded; her eyes still cold. "Done yet?"

"Two cards face-down and I'm done." Two brown-backed cards shimmered into the field.

Lacus drew and added the card to her hand. Picking another card, she placed it on her Duel Disk. "Night Elf (1900/800) in attack mode." A dark-haired female elf with pale grey skin, wearing light clothing, appeared on the field. "And I'll equip her with the equipment card Secret Bow of Darkness, giving her the ability to attack your magic/trap cards and to attack twice." An ebony bow appeared in front of the elf. She grabbed and slung it over her shoulder.

Kira turned to Suain. "She uses an Elf deck?"

"Yeah." He gave a sour look. "Can't believe how lucky she is sometimes. Pulled three ultimate rare Elf cards—the major ones at that—out of one booster and decided to create one ever since. She's still missing a few cards, but she can hold her own. I'm amazed you even heard of them. They're quite rare. If Lacus hadn't showed them to me and asked my help I wouldn't even have known about them."

"I've heard about them alright. They're good, but very heavily dependant on their equipment cards, so not a lot of people use them. Not to mention the fact their equipment cards are also monster-specific." They turned their attention back to the duel.

"Now I activate my face-down Forest of the Elves to get rid of your Gold Mine and boost my elf's stats by 500," Lacus announced as her card flipped up. The cave disappeared, and everyone found themselves standing in a dark forest, with two moons—one red, the other blue—hanging in the midnight sky. (2400/1300) Lex seemed irritated as his "gold mine" disappeared. "Night Elf destroys the two cards you just set." The elf drew her bow and shot two arrows at the cards. They exploded into digital dust. "End turn."

Lex was fuming as he snapped his next card. Looking at it, his drew back and laughed. "Time to give you a taste of the true power of the nobility. But first I'll get back the Sinister Serpent (300/200) I discarded."

"For a guy who insults the commons so much, I'm surprised you even use one," Lacus said.

Lex glared at her fiercely, but she stared back at him calmly. "Greedy Baron destroys your pathetic elf. Crush her!" The baron drew back his fist and surged forward but the Night Elf vanished. "What!"

Lacus grinned as she showed him her activated face-down card. "Mystery of the Forest says you can't attack me or my elves when Forest of the Elves is in play. And it's permanent. Anything else?"

"Fine! Feel the true power of the nobility then. I tribute Greedy Baron for Baron of Injustice (2400/1300)." The paunchy baron disappeared, replaced by a large man with even more elegant clothes. He held a large hammer, and there seemed to be a permanent scowl on his face. "His effect activates! Whenever Baron of Injustice is on the field, your field cannot have more cards than mine."

In the midst of the trees there was a sharp snap, and something dropped onto the ground. It was the Night Elf's bow. It slowly sunk into the ground, and when it was gone, a small shoot stood where it was. Lacus calmly put the card into her graveyard pile, but there was a worried frown on her face.

"A shame that Forest of the Elves is a field card, or it will be destroyed as well. Oh well, I end my turn."

Lacus drew her card and considered her options. Setting a card face-down, she ended her turn. On the field, her permanent trap Mystery of the Forest exploded.

Lex, of course, couldn't miss this chance to throw in another insult. "Running out of plays now are we? Too bad." He drew his next card and played it. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards." He drew two, and smirked as he saw the cards. "One face-down card for now. End turn."

"I was hoping you would do that," Lacus said without looking at the card she drew. Her face-down card flipped up and a large spring suddenly materialized in the field. "Pure Spring Water activates at my standby phase if you didn't attack in your battle phase. It lets me shuffle my hand back into my deck and draw that number plus two. So that's five!" She reshuffled her hand back into her deck and snapped five new cards, giving her entirely new options.

"I tribute Night Elf for Huntress of the Night (2300/2100) (2800/2600)." Another elf rose in the field to replace the Night Elf. Its appearance appeared to be the same, save that it wore a light armor and thigh-length leather boots. "And by the effect of my Secret Bow of Darkness, I can remove it from play to put an equipment card from my deck to my hand." She put the card in her removal pile and her Duel Disk spat out a card.

"It's a common trait shared by all Elfish magic equipment," Suain explained. "All of her equipment can be removed from play to get—or as she calls it—'form' another equipment card from her deck."

Kira nodded. So far Lacus's performance had been impressive. The question now was could she keep it up?

"I equip Huntress of the Night with Bow of the Huntress." The huntress grabbed her bow which just appeared on the field. "Attack the Baron!" The Baron shattered as the arrow pierced through his lungs.

"Activate trap!" Lex shouted as his card flipped upwards. "Double the Pain doubles the damage you receive."

"What are you talking about? It's you who's receiving damage."

Lex smiled slyly. "Any damage done to me through Baron of Injustice is returned to the owner of the monster which destroyed it, doubled. And with Double the Pain it's quadrupled. That means 1600 Life Points is deducted from you."

Lacus looked at her Duel Disk and saw it was true.

Lacus: 2400

Lex: 4600

"Three cards face-down."

"Since you have no cards left, I guess that's my turn," Lex said smugly. He made to draw but then noticed the arrow from the elf-huntress lodged on his deck. "What is this?" he hissed.

Lacus smiled coldly. "In the hands of Huntress of the Night, Bow of the Huntress is deadly. When she deals damage to you, several interesting things happen. First effect: Fall of the Day. Call a card type and discard it if it's what you called."

Lex called magic, and cursed as he saw the green background of the card he drew. He dumped the card in his discard pile.

"Second effect: Rise of the Night. Call another type and place it on your field if it's what you called. Otherwise discard it."

This time he called monster, and smiled as he drew exactly that. He set it on his Duel Disk; the card shimmered on the field. "What else, wench? And spare me the pretty names this time."

"Final Effect: Calling of the Night," Lacus said, ignoring him. "If you summoned any monster through the first two effects, they are forced to attack any monsters in my field with the word 'Night' in its title. Since I only have one, you are forced to attack my Huntress of the Night."

"Your funeral, for I have my second Greedy Baron on the field!" The card flipped over and the same paunchy man emerged. Lex grinned as his monster charged at the huntress, only to stare in shock as she put an arrow in his eye. "What the hell happened? My Baron had 900 more attack points than your elf." He then noticed the three cards she previously set were gone.

"I activated Emergency Provisions to destroy my two face-down cards to gain 2000 Life Points; therefore your Baron was still 1100 attack points short."

Lacus: 4400

Lex: 3500

"Does she have a Mirage of Nightmare in her deck?" Kira asked, raising his eyebrow.

Suain shook his head. "No, she doesn't have one, and neither do I. Besides, doesn't that make her plays quite predictable? I mean come on, everyone who plays Mirage of Nightmare is almost certain to chain it with Emergency Provisions once its effect activates."

"True. But that's if her opponent's know she has the card. Remind me to give mine to her after this is over."

"You're going to give yours to her?" Suain asked, surprised.

"I don't use it," Kira told him. "I have other methods to bring the cards I need to my hand."

"Someday you'll have to show me that."

"You'll see it at the tournament." Kira smirked. "Now let's enjoy the show."

Lacus was still wearing the same cold smile on her face. "Since I destroyed your monster with Huntress of the Night, the same special effects activate again!"

Lex blanched as he realized the dilemma he was in. If he called and summoned weak monsters, he was trapping himself in a loop. If he was to hope he would summon strong monsters, he would be risking decking out, since he had little monsters with equal to 2800 attack points. He called monster on the first and trap on the second, and grimaced as he discarded both. Drawing his card, he set it on his field and ended his turn.

Lacus activated her drawn card as she saw it. "Mystical Space Typhoon on your set card." The wind picked up and blew away his card. "Direct attack!" The elf-huntress drew her bow and struck.

Lacus: 4400

Lex: 700

Lex was trembling as he drew his card. Glancing at it, he nervously set it down. "Come…come and attack me…" he stuttered, ending his turn.

"Worst bluff I ever heard," Lacus said, not bothering to see her drawn card. "Huntress of the Night, attack!" The last arrow destroyed what remaining Life Points Lex had.

Lacus: 4400

Lex: 0

Lex was trembling as their Duel Disk shut down. "You…you…" He seemed to be having difficulties finding words. "Daddy!" he cried as he ran away. Several duelists stared after him and, slowly, the crowd to disperse.

"You know," Kira said as he and Suain rejoined Lacus, "I think while we were busy being angry with that rich snob, we completely ignored the fact that he's a 13 year old rich snob."

"He deserved it," Suain said. He looked around, and saw it was quite dark. "Isn't it dinner time?"

At that, Lacus's stomach growled, and she blushed. "What!" she yelled as Kira and Suain stared at her.

Kira sighed. "Never mind, let's just go eat."

Not far away, a man was leaning against the ship's railing, staring at them. As the trio went below deck, he chuckled. "You keep interesting company, Kira Chihaza."

* * *

To Rex the Emerald Dragon: Thanks. You do the same on your part.

To john: They have an affection for each other XD

To Scotty Boi: Thanks. I plan to do better.

To Meowth's Toon Dragon: I am finding more books written by Alfred Hitchcock. I like them, and am planning to increment some more suspense in my works.

To Demon Fan: You'll have to wait a bit longer to find out I'm afraid.


	3. Chapter 3

The ship docked at Icarius Island the next morning, its loud horn jarring everyone awake from their sleep. Kira, who was already awake and having his breakfast, nearly spilled his meal when the horn sounded. _Gods, you would think they had better sound-proof rooms with all the money they had. _

"Duelists!" The speakers boomed, causing Kira to nearly spill his food again. "I am sure your fiery dueling spirits has been set afire by our energetic arrival call." _Is that what you call it, _Kira thought sourly? "As said, we have arrived at Icarius Island, the dream kingdom of many duelists around the world. Five other ships has arrived as well, each also carrying 30 duelists also. Even as I speak they are also receiving their instructions as well. Here is your one and only instruction on board the ship." The man drew a deep breath. "Get off this ship in 5 minutes or you're all disqualified!"

Kira wasted no time in running back to his room and grabbing his bag. Exiting the room and rushing down, he met other duelists on the way, most still in their pajamas, and was forced to jostle his way down to the ground. _Highly unorthodox Kaiba, _he thought as his feet touched dry land. Then he saw the almost all the occupants from every ship were down and panting for breath, and found himself smirking. _But very effective. _He turned his eyes on the surroundings. The land was fertile, lush with greens and blooming with wildflowers. A range of mountains ran over the horizons, where the morning sun was just arising from its deep slumber. Many would smile at the beautiful sight, reminded of sweet dreams and perhaps fond memories. Not so Kira, who felt his face darkening at the sight.

As a child he had lived in a similar surrounding, only to find pain and destruction. He still remembered his torturers; their stony and unsmiling faces; their obsessive hold on the thing they called tradition. Again and again they put him to test, only to punish him when he didn't perform to their expectations. At last he had broken free of their grasps, only at a terrible price…

A beeping sound jerked him out of his reverie. He looked at his Duel Disk and saw it had just received a message. Quickly he scanned through the text.

_Duelists,_

_Welcome to Icarius Island, where you will pit your prodigious skill against many others. As you may have noticed, five other ships have arrived along with the one you boarded, each with 30 duelists. As to make the competition more manageable, we have decided that only 8 teams will be contesting against each other in the Gen-ex Tournament. Yes, you read it right, only 8 teams. Which means you will have to find your own partners. Each team will consist of 3 people, meaning only 24 will be allowed to participate in the official tournament. Please find your partners and register into our system. If you cannot find a partner, then our system will automatically sort you into a team with others who could not find partners. Please do so now._

Kira shut his Duel Disk and sought Suain and Lacus out. He found them standing under a nearby tree. "Didn't get a good night sleep?" he asked, noting Suain's bleary eyes.

"My room was right next to a loud mouth who just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Add the fact that his snore is louder than thunder, I couldn't even get a wink." He snorted disgustingly. "You'd think with all their money, they might have at least installed a sound-proof room."

"I thought the same thing." He looked at Lacus, who had just finished reading her message. "Looks like I was right about the teams after all. Will I find any arguments if I were to register us as a team?"

"Of course not, we already agreed upon that on board the ship yesterday," Lacus said.

Kira snapped his Duel Disk to attention, and a digital form appeared in front of him. He filled in whatever little details it needed until the last one. "It says we need a team name," he said, frowning. Suain immediately opened his mouth but Kira cut him short. "If you suggest Blue Eyes White Dragon or anything similar, you are going to get my fist in your mouth Suain." He clamped his mouth shut.

The trio thought about the matter, before Lacus said: "Lets just draw a card. Whoever has the monster with the highest attack gets to name the team. Magic and trap cards are counted as zero attack points."

"I've got a better idea. Why not just name the team after the card?" Kira said. He shuffled his deck, Suain and Lacus doing the same, and drew. He eyed the card briefly, and felt Zephyr stir in his mind.

_You haven't drawn that card for a while, _he remarked. He chuckled. _Amusing that the card that represents you will now also represent your team._

_We don't even know what cards they drew yet brother._

_You know whatever they draw is unlikely to beat it. Lacus's elves depend on their equipment to be strong. Suain's strongest is his Horus, and the chances of him drawing that is 1/40. _

They showed their cards. Lacus looked disappointed, having drawn a trap card. Suain had drawn his Horus the Black Flame Dragon Lv 6. Kira showed his card, and both of them widened their eyes in disbelief. "So it's decided then," Kira said, shuffling the card back into his deck.

"We're Team Angel."

* * *

The sun was already high in the sky as the members of Team Angel made their way around the island. Kira led the way, his mind buzzing with the earlier instructions. He found himself liking the way the tournament was conducted. They were required to acquire points to achieve the Gold status to enter the Citadel, where the real tournament was to be held. The task was simple enough. They could duel other teams for the points, or even the Guardians, "special" duelists who would automatically upgrade their status. The message also mentioned something about secrets around the island, adding the element of mystery into the mix. What Kira really liked was the fact they were required to earn their own comfort. They were to obtain their own food, shelter and everything else, whether by dueling or otherwise. He smiled at the thought. Being pampered was nice, but he missed the harshness of the wild.

_Enjoying ourselves are we,_ Zephyr said?

_Indeed brother. It's been a while since I enjoyed this much. _

_You should see Suain. He looks like he's ready to explode. _Kira turned his head.

Indeed Suain looked like he was ready to explode. His face was red and he was panting from the exhaustion of carrying their bags. That was one thing they had agreed upon after forming the team. They would each take turns to carry the others' bags, and whose turn it was was decided by a simple game of rock-paper-scissors. That obviously didn't bode too well with Suain, who had been carrying the bag since they started. Kira mentally chuckled. _Idiot doesn't even realize he plays rock every time. _

"Can we stop yet?" Suain asked, panting.

"Not unless you want to have leaves for lunch," Kira said, noting the sun was nearing its peak. "C'mon, the station isn't that far off."

Suain grunted.

True enough, they soon reached a natural clearing in the forest, where the station was. It was a large shack, seemingly crude and roughly built. Beside it was a spring. Kira looked at it and suspected it to be artificial, since it was too clean, lacking the green algae which usually dwelled in still water. He entered the shack.

The interior was no less different from the exterior. Aged tables and chair furnished the building, while odd masks hung on the walls. Kira ignored the décor and stared straight at the owner.

He was a large man, brutish looking with big meaty hands. A singlet, turned almost transparent by his sweat, covered his chest and slightly large stomach and a pair of torn jeans covered his legs. Pulling a long draw from his cigar, he puffed exaggeratedly and gave the team a crooked grin, showing his discolored teeth. "Well runts, are you going to continue standing there or what?"

Kira narrowed his eyes. _Runts?_ "We're here to purchase some provisions," he said smoothly.

The man snorted. "I doubt midgets like you have even earned enough points to deserve my presence here, let alone buy _my_ food."

Before Kira could answer, Lacus reacted. "Hey, that's not very nice. We're just trying to buy some food, that's all."

"Too bad little girlie. I'm being paid to be offensive. If you want nice then go back home to your mummy."

Kira gave the man a hard look. _Two can play this game old man. _"C'mon guys. We don't want to deal here." He made to leave.

"That's right, go back home crying to your mummy, runts."

Kira turned, a bored expression plastered on his face. "Your insults can't even be considered insults old man," he said, the boredom evident in his voice. "I think Kaiba needs to do a better job educating you. Another year or so should be enough for you to come up with an insult—hopefully."

The man's face grew angry. "Why you little-" And he launched into a string of curses and insults, screaming like a madman. By the time he was finished he was panting heavily, his face red from the exertion. Kira still held the same bored expression.

"I'm surprised at you, old man. A 5-year old could curse better than you. Is 'bastard' the best thing you can come up with? I'm not even offended, since in my case it happens to be true." He heard Suain and Lacus gasp behind him. "And any child can use the f-word. I'm not particularly offended with that either, since that's true too. I had my share of girls. My advice: never try one at Brazil. The girls there have stinky breath. You can't even be sure you are kissing her because you like her lips or just because you want to cover her mouth to avoid the stink." He heard gasps again, this time louder.

The man looked at him oddly before bursting out in laughter. "Very good youngster. Very very good." His tone was no longer insulting. He went behind his counter and emerged with a large sack. "Here, you earned it." He handed the sack to Kira, who just dumped it on Suain. "I like your style. Most duelists who come here either just swear back at me angrily or go wimpy and beg. You're the first who actually stood your ground without being either. Now off you go." He went back behind the counter. "Oh, before I forget, you earned this too." His hands snapped out.

Kira's hand shot out and grasped the card. Smiling ever so slightly, he left the shack with Suain and Lacus.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lacus demanded after they had walked some ways away from the station.

Kira turned to her, breaking his conversation with Zephyr. "Tell you what?" he asked.

"That you were an illegitimate child. Or that you-" Her face grew crimson.

It took Kira a moment to figure out what she was talking about. "Huh? You mean the thing back at the station? I was lying." He stopped to stare at both Lacus and Suain. "Don't tell me you two actually bought that?" They both silently nodded. Kira groaned. "You two can be so gullible sometimes." He said, shaking his head.

Before they could continue three men, all clad in tight clothing, jumped on them. Kira dodged one before grabbing Lacus, dragging her out of the reach of another. Still holding onto her, he jumped back and let her go. The two assailants, who followed, were suddenly met with charging Kira. He ducked under a punch and returned it with one of his own. Blocking another, his feet lashed out, hurling his opponent back.

"Kira, move!"

Kira ducked just as the third assailant went flying over him, crashing into his partners. Dusting himself, he looked at his Suain and Lacus. Suain was fine, panting from exhaustion but otherwise fine. Lacus had a murderous look on her face. He glanced back at their assailants.

One of them had gotten up. "Damn it Jiruku," he said. "I told you this group had warrior-like feel about them. But do you ever listen? No. Now look where it got us."

The man known as Jiruku groaned as he sat up. "Shut up Hikoi. Would you rather face that damn mage and his pets?"

Hikoi shuddered. "Not me. Just the thought of it gives me the shudders."

"Um guys, I think we have other things at the moment here," the third man said, pointing at Kira and the gang.

"Yes, I believe you guys do owe us an explanation," Kira said, his tone falsely sweet.

"We just wanted your food," Jiruku said, throwing caution to the wind. "That man back at the hut, may his soul burn in hell, refused to sell to us and even insulted us. So we figured we'd wait for someone who got it and take it from them instead."

"I see. So basically you're saying because that guy back at the hut didn't give you any food, you decide to steal them from someone else instead. Is that all?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Since that didn't work, would you duel for it instead?" He held up his Duel Disk.

"What's in it for us?"

"We'll bet half of our points against half of your food."

Kira looked back at his team mates, and then shrugged. "Good enough for me." He activated his Duel Disk and stepped opposite to Jiruku. "I hope you duel better than you fight. Because if you don't then I'm going to trample over you." They drew their opening hand.

Kira: 4000

Jiruku: 4000

Jiruku grinned as he drew his card, indicating he would be starting. "Don't worry. I'm definitely better at dueling. I set one card and place one monster in defense. End turn."

Kira drew. Placing four cards face-down, he ended his turn.

"No monsters? You couldn't have put a more obvious trap," Jiruku remarked as he drew. "But I'll oblige you. I'll summon D.D. Warrior Lady (1500/1600) in attack mode and have her attack you directly!" A woman wearing strangely alien armor and wielding a beam saber appeared on the field. Surging forward, she slashed at Kira.

Kira: 2500

Jiruku: 4000

"Kira!" Lacus and Suain both cried out for their friend.

Jiruku looked confused when no traps were activated and stared at his hand in doubt. He ended his turn.

Kira drew and slapped the card down on his Duel Disk. "Time to start the offense. Skilled Dark Swordsman (1800/1800) in attack mode." A dark-armored swordsman, holding a dark blade appeared on the field. "Attack the D.D. Warrior Lady! Dark Moon Slash!"

Jiruku grinned as the swordsman charged. "Activate trap: Ring of Destruction!" A ring of grenades surrounded the warrior. "Boom."

A loud explosion rang through the forest. Pieces of debris went flying as birds scattered. Jiruku was still grinning as the dust settled, but his mouth dropped in shock as he saw a transparent figure standing in front of Kira. The figure was cloaked, its face hidden by the hood it wore. Its right arm was raised in front of him, as if protecting Kira from harm.

"Dark Wraith (700/900) can be discarded from my hand to negate any damage done to me." The wraith disappeared.

Kira: 2500

Jiruku: 2200

"You would have done better if you have let your warrior-lady use her effect instead. Reveal Call of the Haunted to revive Skilled Dark Swordsman." The warrior reappeared on the field, dirt clinging to his armor. "And I pay 800 Life Points to use the effect of Premature Burial which lets me revive my Dark Wraith." The wraith shot up from the ground.

Kira: 1700

Jiruku: 2200

"Activate Treasure from Heaven and Pot of Greed." Kira's final two face-down cards flipped up. "Treasure from Heaven lets us draw until we hold six cards in our hand. Pot of Greed lets me draw two more." Both of them drew their cards.

"Now watch," Kira said as an ominous dark aura surrounded his swordsman, "Skilled Dark Swordsman gains one token for each magic card played. I just played three. When he has three tokens I can sacrifice him to summon Dark Mystic Swordsman (2500, 2200)!" The dark aura swallowed the swordsman. For several moments it seemed nothing would happen, but there was a sudden burst of energy. The darkness retreated, and another swordsman, this one holding twin blades, emerged. "When Dark Mystic Swordsman is summoned he destroys one of your monsters." Jiruku's set card exploded.

"No, my Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900)!"

"I'm not done yet. Dark Wraith will unionize itself will Dark Mystic Swordsman, increasing his stats by 200. (2700/2400) And I'll tribute it for Wraith the Mysterious Wanderer (2800/2600)." The wraith floated above the warrior. There was a flash of light as the two merged. When it disappeared, the swordsman was wearing the wraith's cloak, its hood hiding his features. His hands were hidden beneath the cloak, and the twin blades hung sheathed at his side, all covered save the hilts. Kira pointed at the D. D. Warrior Lady. "Go."

Jiruku blinked as the warrior disappeared, and again as it reappeared behind the warrior-lady, stabbing her in the back. "D. D. Warrior Lady's effect activates. When she battles, I can remove her and the opposing monster from play." The warrior-lady made to grab Wraith, but her hand merely passed through him.

"Wraith is unaffected by monster effects," Kira explained. "Two cards face-down and end turn."

Kira: 1700

Jiruku: 900

Jiruku was sweating as he drew his next card. He slid it into his Duel Disk and set a monster card, ending his turn.

Kira drew. "I summon Barrier Dragon (900/1900) in defense mode." A turtle-like dragon shimmered into the field.

Jiruku pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Activate Torrential Tribute! Now all our monsters are destroyed." A tidal wave suddenly appeared out of the blind, the strong currents slamming into the monsters. When it was over Jiruku was shocked beyond words when he saw the dragon had moved to the front of Wraith, forming a buffer of sorts.

"Barrier Dragon prevents anything on my field to be destroyed by any mass-destruction effects. Wraith attacks for game!" As the words left his mouth, the wanderer ran forward and slashed Jiruku.

Kira: 1700

Jiruku: 0

Kira's Duel Disk beeped as the duel ended. He looked at it, and saw that his team's status had already been upgraded. "Thanks for points," he said to Jiruku, who was furious.

"Whatever!" Jiruku snapped. "Let's go guys." The trio left the place.

"That was close," Lacus breathed. "For a moment I thought you were going to lose. Your Life Points took quite a beating."

Kira smiled gently as he heard Lacus's words. "Perhaps. But there's something in my game play that you should learn, Lacus."

"Huh?" Lacus asked confusedly. "What is it?" Even Suain looked confused.

Kira smiled mysteriously. "Think about it."


	4. Chapter 4

"Jinzo attacks your monster for game!"

The dark-haired youth grinned as his prized monster destroyed what was left of his opponent's Life Points. The dark sky that was Yami faded away as the duel ended. "Thanks for the upgrade," he said as his Duel Disk updated his team's status. His opponent, a boy wearing a cowboy hat, grumbled a short reply before stalking off.

Toel Affman was feeling good about himself, and more than a little pleased with the progress he made. Since the start of the yesterday he and his team had decided to part way, each deciding it easier to earn points when split and to meet up at the Citadel once they have earned enough points. He had dueled seven so far, and had beaten every single one. He smirked as he saw that his team was already at Green, already halfway to Gold. _At this rate, we'll be the first team join the official tournament. _

Just as he was about to find his next prey, a faceless figure moved in front of him. Toel jerked back, startled. Then he noticed that it was no more than a man wearing a mask, with his cloak drawn closely around him. Anger swept away whatever emotions he had before. He was about to shout at him but the man spoke first.

"I saw you duel." The man's voice came out in a sibilant hiss. "I wish to duel you." From beneath his cloak he produced a Duel Disk.

Toel was smirking cruelly in his mind. _So, the prey has come to the predator. How interesting. _He chuckled darkly. The fool probably wasn't even aware of how good he truly was, and he was about to make him pay for startling him. He made some space between him and the man, and activated his Duel Disk. _This will be a piece of cake,_ he thought as he allowed the man his first turn.

Ten minutes later he was sprawled on the ground, his mouth agape and his soulless eyes staring at the sky.

The masked man folded in his Duel Disk and looked towards the east. _The trap is set. Now come take the bait, Kira Chihaza!

* * *

_

Kira turned sharply as he felt the aura of magic in the distant horizons. _What the…_

"Is everything alright Kira?" Suain asked, noticing his friend's behavior.

"…Yeah," Kira replied absently. But he had already changed their path, now moving towards the source of the magic. Suain and Lacus stared after him, puzzled by his behavior, before following him.

Kira moved amongst the trees, a deep fear growing in him. That aura of magic was familiar to him, too familiar.

_He was lying on the ground, clutching his stomach. Blood flowed from his temples, trailing down his face. The taste of iron was strong in his mouth. But still he refused to comply with his torturer's request. _

_His torturer looked down at him, his eyes blazing with a deep anger bordering on rage. "Why don't you just give in and embrace the power?" the man shouted. He kicked him sharply at the side. Kira groaned painfully. The man hawked and spat at him. "Stupid son…"_

_Kira looked up at the man he had once called father. Then something lashed out at him, striking him at his temple. Kira screamed in pain. Looking up he saw his mother, who was holding the whip. "Stupid son, just embrace the power already," his mother said contemptuously. Kira kept quiet, refusing to obey. The whip cracked against his skull, and he screamed again. Then another blow landed, and another, and yet another, until it seemed that she had gone into a frenzy, lashing continuously while laughing maniacally. Kira endured the blows, feeling the energy and emotions building up in him. He contained them as best as he could, until he could hold it no longer. "Enough!" he thundered. Magic surged in his veins, coursing through his body. He pushed his parents back with a single wave of his hands. Both his parents stumbled back, shocked. Both then they began to grin maliciously. "He has embraced the power. He has embraced the power!" they shouted gleefully._

"_Yes, I have embraced the power," Kira said, suddenly appearing in front of them. His hand was held high above his head, clenched in a fist; wisps of aura flowed around it. "And you two have served your purpose. Now die!" He slammed his fist into the ground. And then all was white._

"Brother, we're here," Zephyr informed him.

Kira nodded, too caught up in old memories to notice that Zephyr was standing beside him in physical form. When he did however, he jerked back in shock. "Zephyr, how?"

"It appears the Blood Magic here is strong enough to enable me to exist in the physical plane. But I think we owe your friends some explanations."

Kira looked at Suain and Lacus and, indeed, the two were staring at them, shocked. "I can explain this," Kira assured them.

"Unfortunately that explanation will have to wait, Kira Chihaza." Kira turned sharply. A cloaked man wearing a faceless mask was facing him. He raised his hand and sent a ball of energy towards him. Kira ducked and the ball went pass him to slam into Zephyr. He was sent flying away. "Who…"

"Introductions are unimportant now, Kira Chihaza," the man said behind him, another ball of energy already in his hands.

Kira gritted his teeth as he realized he would not be able to dodge this blow.

The man released the ball of energy… towards Lacus. Kira's eyes widened in fear. "Lacus, get down!"

But it was too late. The ball of energy slammed into Lacus's side. Lacus stood staring at the scorched mark in surprise, before dropping to the ground, unconscious. "Lacus!" Suain shouted.

Once again in his life Kira felt the familiar surge of power. And this time, he did nothing to stop it. He screamed.

* * *

Zephyr had smashed through several trees before one halted his momentum. Tasting the familiar taste of iron, he spat out the blood in his mouth. "That guy is strong," he muttered. Then he felt it. The familiar surge of power… 

_Kira! _He thought in despair. And then he vanished.

* * *

The masked man stared at the black sphere which had formed, waiting patiently and eagerly. _Come to me, the original "Kira Chihaza". Come! _A gleeful sound escaped his lips as the sphere started to compress and contrast; energy crackling around it. It exploded. 

The masked man was hurled backwards. When he recovered he couldn't help but look at the figure in front of him in awe. His hair was pointed and slightly drawn back, the color darker than night itself. Wisps of dark aura emerged from him, adding to his imposing figure. But it was the eyes which commanded the most power; a pair of dark voids that seemed to devour everything. The man felt a tingle rush through him, a mix of both fear and excitement. _So this is the original. Amazing. _"Finally, the real you. Let's see how good you really are then." He drew back his hand and fired a bolt of energy, his speed doubled from before.

The man who was once Kira swayed. The bolt sailed harmlessly past him. "So that's it huh?" the masked man said. "Well how about this?" He raised his arms and started chanting. Balls of energy started to materialize in the air around him, until he had assembled a mass of them. His arms shot forward, and so did the balls. Explosion after explosion occurred as each ball connected. The masked man looked as the destruction continued in front of him, grinning in satisfaction under his masked.

"Pups should not pretend to be wolves," a deep voice said behind him.

The masked man spun in shock. There he stood, not a single hair on him touched. The fear was deep in the masked man now, and he began to sweat profusely. _This guy is inhuman. _"Kira" took a step forward and the man jumped back in fright. He chuckled darkly. "What a puppy!"

The masked man drew his cloak back angrily, revealing his Duel Disk. "You may be good at magic. But let's see how well you are in dueling. I challenge you to a Darkness Game!" A wave of darkness spread over them.

The masked man activated his Duel Disk, drawing five cards. "Well, are you going to play or what?" he asked "Kira", who just stood staring at the surrounding, obviously unimpressed.

"Darkness Game level 2? How about Darkness Game level 6!" He chuckled again as the masked man gasped. Lightning crackled in the skies above, and the darkness around them intensified. "Puppies should never play with wolves," "Kira" said menacingly. "Remember that."

Masked man: 4000  
"Kira": 4000

He drew six cards. "One reverse card and Shadow Beast—Rainbolt (1500/1500) in attack mode." A brown-backed card and a wolf with marine blue fur appeared on the field. "End turn."

The masked man drew his card and sneered. "Putting such a weak monster on the field; you must really be underestimating me. So let me show you what I can do. First is Pot of Greed which lets me draw two." He drew his two cards and slid them into his Duel Disk. "I'll lay two cards face-down and end my turn."

Masked man: 4000  
"Kira": 4000

"Kira" drew and gestured towards his set card. "Time Jump speeds the turn by three." The masked man frowned at such a pointless play. "Kira" grinned and pointed towards Rainbolt. "When Rainbolt is in field for three turns or more, it can turn into a magic card known as Wolf's Rain." The beast disappeared and dark clouds started to gather above. A faint drizzle started to descend upon the field. "And now--"

"Kira!" A sudden voice interrupted him. "Kira" swung to the voice, and snarled with displeasure as he saw Suain and Lacus. "Kira, you need to help me. Lacus… she's breathing too fast. Indeed she was; her breaths coming out in quick pants, sweat trickling down her face.

"That's because you two are in this place you fool. Who asked you two to come here anyway?" "Kira's" arm snapped out.

Suain cried out as he was flung out of the darkness. He landed on the ground with a soft "thud". Glancing upwards he managed to brace himself for impact before Lacus catapulted into him. He grunted as he caught her. Looking back at the dome of darkness where he felt something cold touch of him. That wasn't Kira. Kira would never treat him or Lacus in such a cold manner. Shuddering, he checked on Lacus. Her breathing was easier now, and without the mark at her side it was as if she was sleeping. He looked back at the dome. "Whatever it is that has gotten into you Kira, I'll bring you back."

Back inside the dome "Kira" had already ended his turn, having set a monster and two cards.

"I didn't know you treated your friends so harshly, Kira Chihaza," the masked man remarked as he drew. "I summon Spirit of Harp (800/2000) in defense mode." A golden-robed woman appeared, her fingers slowly strumming the harp, creating an almost hypnotic sound. "Beautiful music isn't it? I play Swords of Revealing Light as well." Beams of light shot down from the sky, impaling "Kira's" set monster; they revealed a wolf with dirt-brown fur. "You flipped over Shadow Beast—Quicksand (1600/600), not that he has any flipping effects." The masked man sneered. "Even if it did, any monsters flipped by Swords of Revealing Light cannot activate their flip effects anyway. Also, it prevents you from attacking for three turns." He looked his cards over. "I guess I end. Make your move Kira Chihaza."

"I'm getting tired of you and that idiot calling me with that false name. My name is Vincent Valentine and you had best remember it." He snapped the top card off his deck. "Wolf's Rain's effect activates! Once per full turn it can destroy one magic or trap card." He pointed at the Swords of Revealing Light. "Now!" The masked man raised his arms to shield himself as a bolt of lightning incinerated his card. "Shadow Beast—Windstalker (1900/200) in attack mode." Another wolf joined the field, its fur pale green. Vincent motioned to his face-down cards; both flipped over. "Wolf's Howl activates if I have more than one Shadow Beast on the field. It returns your monster to your hand." The two wolves howled. The Spirit of Harp screamed in fright and disappeared from the field. Vincent pointed to his other card. "Beast's Rage increases my monsters' attack by 1000 for the turn on the condition that are switched to defense mode at the end of the turn." (2600/600) (2900/200) "Attack now!"

The two wolves snarled and leapt forward. The masked man pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Negate Attack negates your attack and ends your battle phase," he said. He was taken by surprise, however, when Windstalker blurred past the vortex that had formed. The masked man screamed as the beast smashed his mask with its paws. He quickly covered his face with his hand, holding his cracked mask in place.

Vincent sneered. "Windstalker can bypass any traps. A pity that Quicksand can't. End turn." The two wolves knelt. (1600/600) (1900/200)

Masked man: 1100  
Vincent: 4000

The masked man was still holding onto his mask. Suddenly he drew back his head and laughed. Vincent stared at the man unflinching. "I wanted to wait until the end of this duel," the man said as the cracks on his mask grew larger, pieces falling to the ground. "But I suppose now is a good time as any." The mask fell off.

Vincent drew a sharp breath. He knew this man. He had killed him once…

Pitch black eyes stared into sapphire ones. The silence between the two men grew. "What's the matter cousin?" Jacqualine Valentine grinned. "Cat got your tongue?" He drew his card and played it immediately. "Graceful Charity lets me draw two." An angel holding three cards appeared in front of him. "Thank you my dear," he said amiably, adding the cards into his hand "Allow me to reward you." He picked two cards and handed them to her.

"Oh please, your pretence sickens me to my stomach," Vincent growled.

Jacqualine shook his head as the angel disappeared. "Such behavior is unworthy of the clan leader, cousin. Although," he glared hatefully at Vincent, "it is what I'd expect from a person who massacred his own clan."

"Just take your turn."

"I will. I'll summon Spirit of Harp and place three cards face-down to end my turn." The golden robed lady returned to the field.

Vincent drew. "I don't know how you came back, but I killed you once and I can do it again. Wolf's Rain destroys the card on the left." Lightning crashed on the card.

"Thank you. By destroying Repayment for Losses you allowed me to draw one card." His other card flipped up. "Duplicating Device allows me to copy the effect of Repayment for Losses. So I draw two cards." Jacqualine drew and added the cards to his hand.

Vincent felt the building anger within him but suppressed it. This is no time to let your emotions get over your head, he told himself. He looked at his hand and considered his options. Picking a card from his hand, he slid it into his Duel Disk. "Card Destruction forces us to discard our hand and draw equal to the number of cards we discarded." Vincent drew two, noticing Jacqualine paling as he discarded his hand and drew a new one. He looked his cards over and frowned. "Switch Quicksand and Windstalker to attack mode. Turn end."

Jacqualine reached for his deck; Kira noticed how they trembled, though Jacqualine tried to hide it. Jacqualine drew and then smiled devilishly as he saw the card. "DNA Regeneration allows me to retrieve as many cards with the words that I name from the graveyard. I name 'Forbidden One'." Two cards shot out from the graveyard slot. Jacqualine caught them and added them to his hand. "Are you scared cousin? I already have four pieces of Exodia in my hand. One more and you die," he taunted. He picked a card from his hand. "Swords of Revealing Light should do nicely in stalling you again." Again the swords descended from the skies.

"It didn't work the last time. It won't work this time. And if you think you can assemble Exodia before I finish you, you are dead wrong," Vincent replied, unperturbed by the fact his opponent had four pieces of Exodia in his hand. He drew. Lightning crashed on the final face-down card. Vincent looked at the card he had drawn, and stared at Jacqualine in the eye. "Next turn, you die," he announced quietly. "Turn end."

Jacqualine stared back at his cousin's eyes while slowly drawing his card, and felt fear. Vincent wasn't lying. If he didn't do anything this turn he would die in the next turn. He looked at the brown back of the card he had drawn, and slowly turned it over. He was disappointed as he saw it was not what he wanted. Setting it down, he ended his turn.

Vincent drew, and again lightning descended on the field, destroying the Swords of Revealing Light. "Quicksand…sorry." The wolf stared at him and lowered his head as if in acknowledgement. "I sacrifice Quicksand to summon Blood Beast—Terrorfang (2200/1500)." A pitch black wolf entered the field, its crimson eyes staring unblinkingly at its prey. "Finish it." The black wolf ran forward, followed closely by its kin. The Spirit of Harp screamed as the dark wolf's jaws closed onto her throat, swiftly joined by Jacqualine as Windstalker did the same to him.

Jacqualine: 0  
Vincent: 4000

Vincent watched as Jacqualine stumbled, trying to close the wound with scrabbling fingers. The man trembled for a moment, and then with a last gasp he died. Vincent shook his head as the darkness began to devour the body. When it was done he waved his hands at the darkness. They dissipated.

A figure moved on his right. Vincent swayed, the blow missing him by inches. It was Suain. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked him, giving the thick branch in his hands the briefest of a glance.

"I don't know who you are, but I demand that you bring back Kira!" Suain yelled a battle cry. Using the branch as a cudgel, he swung it at Vincent. The blow missed him. Suain stumbled forward, off balance, and tripped over Vincent's outstretched leg, falling to his knees. He scrambled back to his feet. Again he charged at him.

The two continued on like this, until Vincent was caught off guard when Suain threw the branch him. He caught the branch in mid air, but Suain was already in front of him. He punched him in the stomach, followed by a head butt. Vincent stumbled back.

Suain darted in again, but before he knew it he was being flying backwards, crashing into a nearby tree. Wincing in pain, he made to get up but found himself unable to move. Glancing upwards he saw Vincent approach him.

"I'll give you points for courage," Vincent said, throwing the branch in front of him, "but that's all the credit I'm giving you." He turned his back on him, and Suain found that he was able to move again. Silently he gathered the branch again and, with Vincent's back still turned towards him, swung it at him with all his might.

Vincent took two quick steps backwards. His head snapped back, hammering into Suain's face. The branch dropped to the ground. Spinning on his heels his hand snapped outwards, grabbing onto Suain's wrist. Lifting the arm he stepped behind Suain and twisted the arm sharply. Suain cried out in pain. Vincent shoved him forward. Suain landed heavily beside Lacus. "Understand me," Vincent said aloud. "I have no desire to fight you, but if you continue that stun but once more I shall kill you." He transferred his gaze to Lacus. "Besides, save your energy for mourning. Your friend is dying."

Suain stared at Lacus. Her face was pale, contorted into one of pain. Greenish wisps were sizzling out from the burning wound. "What is happening to her?"

"Fire and poison magic. A devious mix. By making it seem like a fire spell he had secretly inserted a portion of poison magic. It is eating away her body cells, like acid. I expect the vocal cords already destroyed, which is why she didn't make a single sound." Suain flinched at his matter-of-fact tone.

"Do something!"

"What for?"

"She's a friend, you insensitive jerk!" Suain yelled at him.

"Wrong. She's a friend of the one you know as Kira." Vincent corrected him. "I am not him nor will I pretend to be him." He turned his back on them and slowly walked away.

"Wait!" Vincent stopped and tilted his head, staring at Suain from the corners of his eyes.

Suain had activated his Duel Disk. "I'll duel you! If I win you must cure Lacus."

"…Competitions like this seem so ridiculous when you don't even understand the significance behind them." He spun around, the Duel Disk humming to life. It turned into a shade of black. The furthest end was grey, slowly turning darker until it was black at the other. "Be that as it may however, I shall accept the challenge."

The two men faced off against each other.

"Duel!"

* * *

Rex the Emerald Dragon: I noticed that you started to slow down on your work too. Keep up the spirit man. Your work is good. Or are you having exams like I am? 

john: Just to let you know, I prefer my own created cards to the ones already existing, overpowered as they may be (though I do my best to keep they manageable). So it's not what you think. Nice guess though.

Darksoulkai: Hey, a new reviewer. Glad you like the story. I'll do my best to update soon.


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